2000
#5,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,290
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.96
Rare Last name
Banta
A surname of Hindi origin referring to a community of merchants and traders, derived from the Sanskrit word "vanij".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,823 Americans carry the last name Banta. That puts it at #6,438 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,862 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Banta surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 58,862
Census rank
#6,438
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,078 bearers of the surname Banta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6438th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Banta, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Banta
The surname Banta has its origins in Italy, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "banta," which means "to proclaim" or "to announce." Initially, the name was likely given as a nickname to town criers or heralds responsible for making public announcements.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Banta name can be found in the historic city of Florence, where a certain Giovanni Banta was listed in a census record from the year 1287. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
As the Banta family spread across Italy, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Bante, Bantie, and Bantea. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic influences of different parts of the country.
The Banta name has also been linked to several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Pietro Banta, a renowned painter born in Venice in 1472, whose works can still be found in various Italian museums and churches.
In the 16th century, the Banta family gained prominence in the city of Siena, where a branch of the family produced several influential scholars and theologians. One such figure was Giovanni Battista Banta, a renowned Jesuit priest and philosopher who lived from 1550 to 1617.
As the Banta family spread beyond Italy's borders, they left their mark in other parts of Europe as well. In the 17th century, a Dutch merchant named Jan Banta established a successful trading company in Amsterdam, contributing to the city's economic prosperity.
Another notable figure was Maria Banta, a Spanish noblewoman born in 1685, who played a significant role in the court of King Philip V. Her memoirs provide valuable insights into the political and social dynamics of 18th-century Spain.
In the 19th century, the Banta name gained recognition in the field of literature. Giuseppe Banta, an Italian writer and poet born in 1812, was widely acclaimed for his lyrical works and influential literary criticism.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse contributions of individuals bearing the Banta surname across various fields and regions throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Banta
Among Census respondents with the surname Banta, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Banta bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Banta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 4,366
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 266
- Two or more races4.0% · 201
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 125
- Black or African American1.4% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Banta
Banta appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,931
+641 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 2.01
Rank movement Up 165 places
2020
#6,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,078
-853 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 609 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,994 | 5,290 | 1.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,829 | 5,931 | 2.01 | +641 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 165 places |
| 2020 | #6,438 | 5,078 | 1.70 | -853 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 609 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Banta surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,829 | #6,438 | -10.4% |
| Count | 5,931 | 5,078 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.01 | 1.70 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Banta bearers went from 5,931 to 5,078 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 609 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,829 to #6,438.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Banta
FAQ
Banta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Banta?
Name Census estimates that about 5,823 living Americans carry the surname Banta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,862 residents.
How common is Banta?
Banta ranks #6,438 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,078 people with the surname Banta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,823), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Banta.
Has Banta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Banta went from 5,931 recorded bearers to 5,078. That is a decrease of 853 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,829 to #6,438.
What does the Census say about the background of Banta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Banta, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Banta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (4,366 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Banta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Banta (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Banta mean?
A surname of Hindi origin referring to a community of merchants and traders, derived from the Sanskrit word "vanij". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Banta (1.70 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Banta?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.